


Report Cards and Conditional Love

by GuapoGatito



Series: It Won’t Be Long Now (Vanessa) [1]
Category: In the Heights
Genre: Bad grades, Gen, Kidfic, surrogate parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:01:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27595853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuapoGatito/pseuds/GuapoGatito
Summary: Renamed from Report Cards Aren’t Always Good News.Can be found at my Tumblr, @guapogatitogal or my Wattpad, Vansnavi.“Mija, you’re back,” Daniela greets her, hugging Vanessa close. “Did you have a good day?” Vanessa tenses up at her question. “Vanessa?”Happy Reading!
Relationships: Daniela & Vanessa (In the Heights)
Series: It Won’t Be Long Now (Vanessa) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2017418
Kudos: 5





	Report Cards and Conditional Love

You’re not good enough. You’re just gonna be stuck in the barrio forever.  
“Shut up,” Vanessa growls to herself.  
Just another girl stuck en el barrio.  
“Cállate,” She hisses. “Go away.”  
“Vanessa, sweetheart, why didn’t you tell me it was so bad?” Vanessa gulps at an imaginary heartbroken Daniela. Much worse than an angry one.  
“You’re not real,” She mumbles, willing herself to open the salon door.  
They’re going to hate you.  
Vanessa opens the door, letting herself be engulfed by the weak air conditioning and loud music that immediately quiets down when she steps inside.  
“Mija, you’re back,” Daniela greets her, hugging Vanessa close. “Did you have a good day?” Vanessa tenses up at her question. “Vanessa?”  
“It was fine,” She says stiffly, her voice angry all of a sudden.  
“Are you sure?”  
“I’m fine!” Vanessa snaps. Daniela pulls back huffily, but then leans forward to study her. She takes the fifteen-year-old’s hand and rubs small circles into it.  
“You can tell me anything, Vanessa.”  
No, you can’t! You can’t! Don’t trust her! ¡No te fíes de ella!  
“I have to!” Vanessa bursts into tears, reaching for Dani, who envelopes her in her arms.  
“You have to what, V?” She asks soothingly. Vanessa shakes her head and clings to Daniela, tears wetting the woman’s dress. “Shh, shh, you can tell me, bebé.” After a moment, Vanessa sniffles and steps away, grabbing the guilty piece of paper and thrusting into Daniela’s hands. Confused, Dani unfolds it, and a strange look crosses her face that Vanessa can’t read. She looks at the paper for a couple of minutes before sliding it in her pocket.  
“Vamos, chica, let’s go upstairs.” She takes Vanessa’s hand and guides her up to her apartment. When they’re both situated on the couch, Daniela starts to talk. “When I was your age, I moved to New York with my mami.” Vanessa nods. “I did not speak very good English, but the numbers were the same as in Spanish, so I did very well in my math classes. I didn’t study much. I never liked trying to make sense of words I didn’t want to understand. I did not care about my classes. But when the end of the year came, I started to panic. I got very worried that Mami would be mad at me.” Daniela softens her voice. “She was disappointed. She wished I had studied harder, but she sat me down on the couch and said ‘Mija, I am not mad at you. You did not do so well, but your math scores were good. Next year, study more.’” Daniela cups Vanessa’s face and whispers “Mija, I am not mad at you.” Tears fill Vanessa’s eyes.  
She’s not mad?  
Vanessa hugs Daniela tighter than she ever has.  
“I love you, Vanessa.”


End file.
